Swasey, James, House
Why it's listed
This 2½-story clapboard house at 30 Common Street in Waltham was built around 1846 for James Swasey, a carpenter. It follows a vernacular sidehall plan in the Greek Revival style, with a pedimented gable, corner boards, a simple entablature, a side entrance with full sidelights, and a one-story portico on fluted Doric columns. It rests on a granite foundation, has a two-story rear ell, and keeps its original 6/6 windows. The street remains largely residential, though a major commercial district lies around the corner. The property's history shows how house lots were handled in the 1840s. The lot passed through several owners who apparently meant to build on speculation, including cordwainer Lewis Bemis and housewright Daniel Sawyer, but no house was built until Swasey bought it in 1846. Swasey lived there through the nineteenth century, and his widow was still in residence in 1923. The house was listed for its architecture and its link to the area's mid-century development.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well preserved example of a vernacular Greek Revival sidehall-plan dwelling. It also illustrates the mid-19th-century growth of the north central Main Street area as a home for workers and small businessmen. Its ownership history documents local real estate and speculative building practices.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89001530, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 30 Common St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001530 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | James Swasey--carpenter |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use, in good condition, with no major alterations and not moved; a non-contributing garage stands on the lot. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.37722, -71.23693 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89001530.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6143882
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.